Moon Knight Saga
by Tristram Hawthorne
Summary: Humanity...weak flesh and bone, prone to mistakes...but contains limitless potential, be it good or evil. Even with your powers and the cold steel of your armor, you must not forget that you are still human
1. An Unexpected Return

The Silver Millennium...a vibrant, peaceful little kingdom nestled on the cold, gray, and desolate moon ruled by the benevolent Queen Serenity and King Cyrus. Some time has passed since the Dark Kingdom ignited the fires of war and turned it's larger cousin, the Earth, against them. After much strife and hardship, Queen Serenity was able to stop the Dark Kingdom and seal away their power from roaming hands. Now, peace rules all, but it is not to last, for evil forces are stirring, and war will soon erupt again. To counter this evil, some of the Moon Kingdom's greatest heroes came to light and began to train for victory.

Moon Knight Saga

Chapter 1

An Unexpected Return

The home of the Moon Kingdom royal family, a solemn beacon of peace and prosperity in the galaxy. Within it's center lies the training grounds for the royal military, a place that rarely sees use anymore in this time of tranquility. Today, however, steel clashed and footsteps stomped...a battle was taking place.

Endymion, the raven haired prince of Earth was caught in a harrowing situation...arriving here on a mission of peace, only to be driven to fight for his very breath. Teeth gritted tightly and sword held high, he charged his opponent with an overhead strike, and followed with a cross-slash. Both attacks were blocked easily and swiftly.

"Stronger than I believed. Were the warriors of the Moon this strong?" Endymion thought, "For a place known for peace, how could they be this skilled? I could be in trouble."

The Prince's opponent was none other than William Serenity, prince of the Moon Kingdom! His long silver-blue hair flowing with his graceful movements as he raised his sword and attacked with a triad of swift slashes. Endymion blocked them with some difficulty, but held his ground. He hopped back and charged his opponent. William measured him up and took a swing, the tip of his blade grazing Endymion's arm

"Endymion, are you okay?" William asked, worriedly, dropping his guard, "I pray I didn't get you too badly."

Endymion easily knocked William's sword from his hands and laid his blade to William's neck.

"Never lower your guard to your enemy! We always practice like it's the real thing. Hurt or not, you should have held your guard," Endymion warned, sternly, moving his sword away, "Other than that, you're improving very nicely. You've worked on a lot of things since I last visited. Want to go again?"

"Nah," William said, brushing his hair back his sweat covered hair, "I've had enough for today."

William walked to a nearby bench and tossed Endymion a towel, using another to wipe his face. Endymion wiped up his seeping wound and bandaged it up. The two of them had only been friends for a couple years, but they were as close as brothers. Queen Serenity, William's mother and the beautiful queen of the Moon Kingdom, approached them. She was applauding them both.

"You're looking good, William!" Serenity commended, kissing William's cheek. "You'll be a wonderful knight someday."

William blushed slightly, "It was nothing, mom. I'm just doing what I do best."

"Well, come you two," Serenity said, "I've had lunch made. William, go on ahead, your sister is waiting."

William nodded and went on ahead. Serenity turned to Endymion.

"Do you think William's ready for knighthood?" she asked.

"King Cyrus has trained him very well," he observed, "I believe William is more than ready for it."

Serenity smiled, "Thank you, Endymion. I'll make the necessary arrangements. Now, let's go have lunch."

When Endymion and Serenity arrived, William and Princess Serenity were already eating, so the two sat down and began eating themselves. Prince Endymion sat next to William and across from Princess Serenity. She was wearing her favorite white dress and her hair was up in its usual odango style with long pig-tails, same as her mothers. They caught each others glances and smiled. Their love was secret and forbidden. Their feet caressed one another's under the table where no one could see.

"William's a great fighter, isn't he Prince Endymion?" the Princess asked, secretly just wanting to hear his voice.

"He is an excellent fighter, Princess," Prince Endymion said, "He is one of the finest warriors I have had the pleasure of dueling. He has definitely done your kingdom proud."

"I wish Cyrus were here to hear your kind words," Serenity lamented, gazing longingly over at Cyrus' chair, "But, he's on Earth working out our new trade agreement."

"My brother, a warrior?!" Serenity exclaimed, "How exciting!"

"I'm no warrior," William said, an unnoticeable sadness in his voice.

"You're my little knight," Serenity mused playfully, "But, humble as always."

William bowed his head and blushed. Everyone laughed.

After lunch, William went to his room and stood out on the balcony. He looked up at the Earth, soon to become his home away from home. William wished to continue his training with the knights of the Earth Kingdom, some of the best out there, but that would mean being away from the only place he has ever called home. He was happy to be continuing his training, but he would have to leave his home...his family...all that was familiar to him. Though, with relations between the two kingdoms as they are, there's no way of telling if they will accept him. He bowed his head and saw Serenity sitting alone on one of the courtyard benches. He decided to go down and join her.

The courtyard flowers were in full bloom, thanks to the moon energy that kept them growing all year long. The Royal Gardens were one of the most beautiful places in the galaxy. The colors were so bright and varied that you could spend days just exploring this little piece of heaven on the moon.

He sat next to Serenity, smiling at her. She looked away and sighed, loneliness filling her. He wasn't even gone, but it was as if he was already gone. He took her hand and smiled at her.

"You look so alone, mother," William remarked, "Are you worried about father?"

"A little...you know how they feel about us," she sighed, "I know you want to go there as well."

She stood up and walked towards a patch of blue flowers, then looked up towards the Earth. She loved everyone there, even if they did not love her. She silently cursed it's existence for taking him away. But...all birds must leave the nest someday.

"So much of our lives has been spent here in this garden," she reflected, "You started using a sword here, little Serenity's first steps. Your father and I gave our vows at that fountain over there."

She pointed to a fountain in the center of the garden, a slight smile on her face. He walked up to her and smiled with her.

"Father and sister will be here. You're not alone," he said, noticing the flowers there, "This was planted shortly after I came here, right?"

She turned to face the flowers and nodded, "They're forget-me-nots...brought from Earth by a close friend. They were in my room for a long while until they were planted here."

She lowered her head, tears flowing down her cheek. "You've always been here for me...if something were to happen...

"The Earth isn't the dangerous place it used to be...we're trying everyday to see to it and may be able to help in some way," he said, picking two of the forget-me-nots and putting one in her hand, "You take one and I'll take one. It's a piece of one another we'll have with us."

She looked up at him and softly smiled, "Just be careful, son. I love you."

He embraced her gently, "Love you too, mother."

They stood there in that moment for seemingly forever until she pushed away and wiped her eyes.

"I have preparations to make for your father's return," she sighed slightly, "A queen's work is never done."

He returned to his room. Across the hall from his room is his sisters which was cracked open...rather strange. He quietly slipped inside, worried something might be a miss. Looking around, he found nothing out of place. Maybe she'd just forgotten to shut it when she left? Then, he heard a sound coming from the balcony...followed by whispering. He tiptoed to the balcony door, hiding from view. He quickly slipped out the balcony door. Princess Serenity turned around and gasped. She was very startled and almost looked like she was going to cry.

"Sister..." he uttered, scanning the area, "I apologize. Your door was cracked and I worried that something was wrong. I just came to check."

She turned back around and looked up at the Earth. It glowed bright blues and greens in the sky. "I hear you want to go to Earth. Do you think Mom will let you go?"

William shrugged and smiled, "I certainly hope so. It's an excellent chance to put my training to a real test against the best swordsman of Earth. I'm very excited."

She sighed and shook her head, "That's not what I meant, brother..."

She stared dreamily at the Earth. William walked and stood next to her.

"Mom seems worried about me," he said, "She has nothing to worry about."

"She has everything to worry about, William," she said, turning to face him, "You are her son and her oldest. You've never left home before. You'll be in a place she can't keep an eye on you. It's maternal instinct, nothing more. Besides, they might try to hurt you."

'Yeah, I know, but I'm sure I'd be taken care of," he remarked, then looked to his side behind his sister, "You can come out, Endymion. I know you're there."

Endymion had been perched out on a ledge that was against the castle wall. He carefully made his way to the balcony railing then hopped up onto the balcony itself. He gave William an uneasy look.

"William...I can explain...I..." he tried to explain, but he stopped.

William looked to his friend and then to his sister. Serenity walked to Endymion and lovingly put her arm around him. The leaned against one another, both looking to William with both fear and tenderness in their eyes. It was as if they were defiantly showing their love for one another even though they had been caught.

William looked at them and laughed, "I'm not the one you two need to worry about."

Endymion and Serenity looked at one another, then to William again. Both of them smiled at him.

"I can't think of my sister being with a better man, " he walked up to them, placing his hands on each of their shoulders, "But, I'm not sure how our kingdoms would take it."

"We know," Endymion said, "That is why we've kept it a secret."

"We pray for the day we can openly express our love and not hide it from everyone," Serenity said. She hugged her brother warmly, her eyes sparkling with love, "Thank you, brother

"Well, I'll leave you two be. Enjoy your time together," William said, turning to leave, "Endymion, you might want to take her to some place more open. Make it look like she's giving you a tour...something. If she's out of sight for too long, someone will come looking...and that's no good."

Endymion nodded. Serenity leaned up and kissed Endymion's lips.

William went to his room, sat down, and thought about what he had planned. Should he really go to Earth? Should he leave Serenity's side? Would she even let him go? Although, when he returned, he would truly be the best swordsman in the Moon Kingdom, if not the galaxy. He had already decided he wanted to to go and go he shall, even if she dissented...he had to protect Serenity, if evil ever decided to return.

A short time later, William went to the knight's training ground to practice his techniques a little. He loved training here and he would miss it for the time he was away. Just about everything he knew, he learned from this place. One more workout before he left... He was about to get started, when he heard a voice.

"I challenge you to a duel, sir!" the voice called, in a brutal tone.

"Who's there?" William shouted back, pointing his sword towards the voice.

Out from the shadows, there came a person many didn't wish to cross. This person was Edgar Shinka, Knight Captain of the Moon Kingdom! He is a man that was well respected and broadly feared. The son of the hero of the first war, trained to surpass even him. Known for his proficient skill and remarkable strength, but he is even more renown for his loyalty to the throne. He stands tall and menacing. Hazel eyes reflected courage and a great sense of justice. His shoulder length flame red hair, a warrior's mane, a warning of peril to anyone who would cross him.

"I wish to test your skill," Edgar asserted, brushing his flame-red hair aside, "All I hear from the knights is how good you've become and I want to see for myself."

"Edgar...long time no see," William said, smiling, "You too busy with your duties to visit anymore?"

"My time is spent keeping you safe," Edgar remarked, walking closer to him, "But, occasionally, I get out and see you train here."

"I have seen you as well," William commented, keeping a close eye on him, "I still remember your father. He was a noble man and a very skilled knight."

"My friend..." Edgar retorted, "My father trained me to surpass even him. It wasn't easy...but his will was carried out."

William blinked and swallowed hard. He could feel an aura of great strength coming from him. He had never faced Edgar in one on one combat. and began to fear what he could do to him, if this battle got serious.

"You are among the best I have seen. You are ready to join the elite here," Edgar commented, "But, you'll never be better than me."

"We have both been training for nearly ten years and have had excellent teachers to guide us," William countered, "I don't want to be 'better.' I do not think of you as my superior...equal perhaps, but not superior."

"Yes, dear King Cyrus is a fine teacher, but his student needs a real challenge," Edgar said, roughly, "But enough talk, engarde!"

Edgar brandished his sword, with lightning speed, and sliced at William, who leaned back to dodge. William, however, was not fast enough and his cheek was cut.

William touched the wound, eyeing the crimson wash on his fingers, and clenched his fist, a look of anger coming over him "So, that's how you want to play? Two can play that game, Edgar!"

William unsheathed his sword and fiercely charged Edgar, striking at him. Edgar, with some difficulty, blocked the blow and counter attacked, which was efficiently blocked.

"This is going to be tough," William thought, charging him again.

Queen Serenity, along with several guards, heard the commotion from the training grounds and went to see what was going on, only to see William and Edgar dueling there. The knights stood cheering them on, but Serenity watched the fight closely, interested to see whom the victor would be. She had always wondered what the outcome would be if the Moon Kingdom's two greatest warriors dueled each other.

William wiped the sweat from his brow and struck again at Edgar, who was easily able to block him. Edgar clenched their swords, moved in close, and shook his head at William. Then, he smirked and placing his foot to William's chest, boosted himself off. William flailed back and his sword went flying behind him, landing in the flat land of the training grounds. Edgar, who landed a few yards from William, smiled and charged at him. William looked back at his sword, but quickly turned and ran towards Edgar.

The crowd looked on in shock as they watched the weaponless prince rush his enemy.

"William, are you trying to get yourself hurt?" Serenity thought, fearing for his safety, "Go for your sword!"

When Edgar got close to his adversary, he fiercely thrust forward towards William. Before the blade reached him, however, William pounced and bounded himself off Edgar's head and landed by his sword. Edgar struggled, but managed to keep his footing, though dropped his sword. The crowd erupted in applause.

William smiled, almost laughing, "I learned that one from the Sailor Senshi when I trained with them a year ago. They have some interesting skills."

William picked up his sword and prepared to strike. Edgar picked himself up and looked at William. "Surprising move, my friend, but I have a few surprises of my own!"

Edgar gathered his sword and charged again. He leapt over William, reversed himself in mid-air, and struck down. William rolled out of the way and Edgar's sword hit the dirt. It was beginning to look like a never-ending battle.

Prince Endymion ran from the castle to the training grounds to find Serenity. He paused to catch his breath before speaking to her.

"Where is William?" Endymion asked, "Something has come up and I have to return home, immediately. Will you allow him to return with me?"

Serenity motioned to the training grounds, where Edgar and William were dueling. Endymion looked to them and smiled.

"Wow, William and Edgar are going at it?" Endymion said, amazed at the sight, "How's he doing?"

"Better than I ever would have imagined," she responded, "He's even using his training with the Senshi. To think Cyrus said it wouldn't do him any good."

Endymion laughed, "Very interesting. A variable technique makes for a formidable opponent. Our men would have to be their best."

Serenity laughed, too. She always tried to help William the best she could, even if his father was against it. She always knew what was best for her little knight in shining armor.

Endymion looked to Serenity, "Queen Serenity, if William is to come with me, he has to come now."

"As long as no harm comes to him, " she started, having made this decision awhile ago, "I will allow him to join you."

"Thank you, Queen Serenity. I swear that no harm will befall him," Endymion said, bowing then turning to the battle before them, " William, something has come up and I have to return home! Your mother has given permission for you to come with me, so let's go!"

William and Edgar's swords were locked in attrition. William looked toward Endymion and nodded, a bright smile on his face. He feigned weakness, then shoved forward, unclenching their swords.

"Sorry, Edgar," William lamented, sheathing his sword, "We'll have to finish this later."

"I'll be waiting," Edgar said to him, "Don't get rusty down there."

William nodded and said good-bye to his mother. He went to collect his things and met Endymion in the portal room. From there, they went through a portal to Earth. When they arrived, they were led to a conference room within the castle. Endymion's parents, the king and queen, King Cyrus, and some of the knights were waiting for them.

"Mother, Father, what has happened?" Endymion queried.

"We have received a message from a group calling themselves the Dark Kingdom," Endymion's father, the king answered.

"It says, basically, surrender or be destroyed," one of the knights said.

"I've heard whispers of this Dark Kingdom group amongst the townspeople," another knight said, "They've tried the same thing with two of the outlying provinces in the past few months. I wonder who they are and what they want."

"They seem to be a force of evil, no doubt," William commented.

"What are you talking about, Prince Serenity?" the Queen asked, "Has the Moon heard of this group before?

"Well, if they are willing to threaten the great and just Earth Kingdom," he explained, There is nothing more they could be but pure evil."

"No matter, we will not surrender without a fight," the King assured, "Put the castle on high alert and station guards in the town."

The knights bowed to the king and left to carry out their orders. The King and Queen turned to Endymion and William.

"I see you brought the Moon's prince with you," Endymion's mother, the Queen noted, "To what do we owe this honor?"

"Will wants to test his skill against Earth's finest," Endymion answered.

"I heard your knights are some of the best anywhere, so I thought they would be a great test for me," William said.

"We can give it our best shot, " the King commented, "Cyrus here has told us how proud of you he is and how skilled of a swordsman you have become."

King Cyrus walked over to his son and hugged him, then turned to the King and Queen of Earth. "I will return home and give news of the trade agreement to Queen Serenity. Also, I will scour the Moon Kingdom archives for this Dark Kingdom group. I pray that our son will be well taken care of, sir?"

The King nodded and Cyrus bowed to everyone and left. A grand feast was prepared for Prince William's arrival. William was introduced to so many people he couldn't keep their names straight, but he stayed on his best behavior. This was another chance to show the Earth people that the Moon dwellers weren't bad people.

The next morning, William awoke and ate breakfast. He had a guard show him where the training grounds were and waited for Endymion to arrive. The training grounds of the Earth Kingdom were greener than the one's on the Moon. The ground was covered in grass, rather than raw earth. Dummies, jousting areas, and other implements were all around. This place was more fully featured than the one at home. Although, the Earth Kingdom kept a much larger army in reserve, so that would explain this vast facility.

"Where could he be?" he asked himself, "He said he'd be here at dawn."

Endymion arrived about hour later, saying that he had overslept. William laughed at him and unsheathed his sword and Endymion did the same.

"William," Endymion began, "From what I've seen, your offense is top notch, but I'm curious how adaptive you are to different situations."

Endymion, without warning, attacked William, slicing at him. William ducked, rolled out of the way and leapt into a counterstrike, catching Endymion off guard. Straining, he blocked William's advance and struck hard, knocking him off his feet. Endymion twirled his sword and stabbed down, but only met the earth below. William had rolled out of the way and was standing up, ready for another round.

"Very good, William," Endymion commended, "Your skill is beyond your years."

"Father always taught me to adapt to meet the battle," William reminded him, "If your training doesn't teach you how to beat a certain situation, make up a solution."

Endymion laughed, "You adapt very well, William. I see why they are so proud."

They continued until dusk. It only lead to reaffirm William's excellent skill.

"It's getting late," Endymion noticed, pointing at the setting sun, "Let's quit for today."

"I guess we lost track of time again," William laughed, brushing his hair aside, "We missed lunch, which means supper better be good."

"It will be grand, my friend, " Endymion said, "You are ready to face our knights, William. You have passed my test."

They both laughed and sheathed their swords. William had not considered this a test, thinking it was just for fun. Next time, He'll have to put forth everything he has. They walked to the dining hall and feasted heartily.

After dinner, William was out in the courtyard, lying on the ground, looking up at the moon. He thought about his family and what they were doing right now. He felt sort of homesick...This was the first time he had really left home alone before. It would seem like a long while until he would return and see them again.

William thought of Serenity, his mother and best friend, although, they were friends long before they were family. He clearly remembers the night they met. The night his life was changed forever...

A cold rain was falling that fateful night. A young boy was running down an alley behind some shops in the main city of the Moon Kingdom. Some older kids were chasing them, a couple boys and girls, and were gaining fast. The young boy slipped and fell in a puddle of water and the older kids caught up with him.

"Why don't you all just leave me alone?!" the young boy cried, his voice shaking.

"You keep stealing from the shops, making trouble for the people here, and you're just a general nuisance to everyone," the oldest boy said, shouting in anger, "We want you to stop it or we'll have to get rough."

The others nodded in agreement, encroaching on the helpless child.

"I'm sorry if I have caused so much trouble," the young boy said, "I don't have a choice. I'm just an orphan with no place to go."

"Aww, you poor boy," one of the girls said, with a mocking tenderness, "You're all alone, with no place to go?"

She walked up to the boy and kissed his cheek, and then slapped him hard, cutting the child's face with her nails. He covered the wound and began to cry.

"Shut up, you little crybaby!" the other boy yelled.

The oldest boy raised his fist and punched him. The young child fell to the ground and let out a scream, which was heard by a passerby. He stopped bleeding, but was in pain. He hit the child again and the others cheered. The small child was still crying. All he was trying to do was survive...why couldn't they see that? He raised his fist again, ready to strike.

"Hey, leave that boy alone!" a voice shouted.

The kids looked up to see a young woman.

"It's her!" the oldest shouted, looking in fear, "We better get out of here!"

The kids ran away. The young woman approached the young boy and looked down at him.

"Are you okay, young sir?" she asked him, in a sweet, tender voice.

The voice sang like a beautiful melody to him. The child looked up to see the most beautiful person he had ever met. Everything about her was perfect. He wondered if this was love at first sight. His heart beat fast and he looked at her in awe of her great beauty and gentle grace.

"Are you okay, little one?" she asked again.

She took out a pure white handkerchief from her purse and wiped his face. The child nodded, still in awe.

She smiled, "You'll be okay. Come with me and get out of the cold."

She extended his hand to him. He took it and stood up. Her hands were so soft, almost like silk and her scent was akin to roses. He looked up at her and smiled.

"I'll be safe," he thought, "As long as I'm by her side."

They walked until they reached the largest building in the Moon Kingdom, the royal castle.

"W-w-we can't go in there, can we?" he asked, "Queen Serenity lives here."

The young woman winked at him, "I don't think she'll mind."

The guards opened the gates and they entered. Inside, a butler greeted them.

"Welcome home, Queen Serenity," he said, "I'm terribly sorry about the storm. No one saw it coming."

"It's alright," she said, calming his worries, "There was nothing you could have done."

The boy looked at her in shock, his mouth gaping open, "You're Queen Serenity?!"

"Oh, I did not properly introduce myself," she said, kneeling to him, "I am Queen Serenity, ruler of the Moon Kingdom."

He nodded and smiled. A maid walked into the room.

"My queen, you have returned," the maid said.

"Prepare a bath for my guest," the queen commanded, "Find him some clean clothes, too.

"Shall I call someone to bathe him?" the maid asked.

"No, I'll do it myself," she said, "Take him to my room."

The maid nodded and took the boy to the queen's bathing room. She stripped him of his clothes, filled the bathtub with water, and put the boy in. The queen walked in and the maid left. The boy was playing in the water, but stopped when he saw her enter the room, knowing that it was improper to act like that around a queen. She kneeled beside the tub, sensing his uneasiness and splashed him. They both laughed.

"You're a fun person, Queen Serenity," he said.

"We're friends now," she said, smiling, "Just call me 'Serenity'."

He smiled and nodded, "Okay...Serenity."

A butler came with his new clothes. Serenity finished his bath and helped him into them, a simple white shirt and tunic. They went out into her bedroom.

"I'm going to change," Serenity said, "Go out onto the balcony. I'll be with you shortly."

He nodded and went out onto the balcony. The view was beautiful. It seemed like you could see every star in the sky as well as the Royal Gardens below. A few minutes later, Serenity joined him wearing a light pink nightgown. She saw him looking up, at the sky, and thought she'd point out some of the lights up there.

"Do you see that blue-green ball in the sky?" she asked.

She pointed to it and he awed in its beauty.

"That is the Earth, dear. They don't like us very much, but we're working on that," she explained, "Isn't it beautiful?"

William looked up at her and nodded, "But, it's not as beautiful as you, Serenity."

Serenity blushed and he laughed. She growled and tickled him. Their laughter rang throughout the castle. The servants could hear it from the courtyard, where they were sitting and conversing.

"Finally, something good has come to dear Queen Serenity in her life," a maid observed.

"Yes," a butler said, "After the war with the Dark Kingdom, she could use some happiness in her life. Maybe, if he stays, he can erase the sadness in her eyes and she can be truly happy again."

Standing some distance away from the servants, a tall man with shoulder length flame red hair stood, looking up at the Queen's window. A half smirk was on his face, yet, sadness in his eyes. He let out a soft sigh and shook his head some. A small boy, with the same flame red hair, tugged at his tunic and looked up at him.

"Daddy, are you okay?" the little boy asked, a look of deep concern on his face, "Is Lady Serenity all right?"

The man looked down at his boy and petted his head, "Yeah, son, she's fine. I'm just checking up on her." Even though he wasn't an official part of the castle guard anymore, he swore an oath and he would watch over her...even if he thought she was wrong. "Let's go, son. We have a full day tomorrow."

The boy nodded and walked ahead through the garden to home. The man took one last look at the balcony...the sadness in his eyes returning. He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head, then, followed his son home.

Serenity blinked and quickly looked out over the balcony, down onto the garden. "Was he?" She frantically looked around, not seeing anything. Her eyes grew sad and she shed a tear. "Zato..."

The small child walked next to her and tugged on her dress, "Are you okay, Serenity?"

Her daze went away and she knelt down next to him, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thought I saw something." She looked at him and smiled. "Are you hungry, little one?"

He nodded quickly and smiled broadly.

Serenity giggled, "Okay, let's go get you some supper."

She stood up and took his hand and they walked to the castle dining hall.

The rest of it is pretty much history. Serenity adopted the child as her own. She named him William because he kept such a watchful eye on her. She later married a man named Cyrus, who loved William as if he was his true son. Later, a daughter was born into the family, also named Serenity, who William loved like a blood sister. Cyrus took it upon himself to train his son in the ways of the sword and he far exceeded everyone's expectations.

His years with Serenity and living on the moon were the best. He sometimes wondered where he came from, but, he usually shoved those thoughts aside. To him, it didn't matter who he was before. He is William Serenity, prince of the Moon Kingdom and nothing can change that. He leaned up and realized how much time had passed and went to his living quarters and went to sleep. Sparing

Long hidden in the darkness of the cold, southern ice wastes of Earth, a great evil is about to shatter the peace of the Silver Millennium. In this darkness stood a castle, large and foreboding. This castle was home to the Dark Kingdom, the evil force that Queen Serenity had defeated some time ago. Rising from the ashes, they were bitter over their defeat and felt it was time to exact their revenge. In the castle throne room, Queen Beryl, subordinate ruler of the Dark Kingdom forces, sat on her throne, looking into her crystal ball at the Earth Kingdom castle.

"Generals, come forth!" the evil queen called.

The four Dark Generals appeared as if from the shadows. A spotlight shined down on each of them.

First, Jadeite, his violet colored eyes were beautiful, but cold and, with his short blonde hair, gave him an innocent look about him. He is the lowest rank and not as powerful as the others, but he will not let himself be outdone by any of his comrades.

Second, Nephrite, whose dashing good looks and long, auburn hair my lead you to believe that he is a little out of place among this bastion of evil, but his good looks only hide a cunning, ruthless, and arrogant individual. He prefers to work alone, but will work with the others, if the circumstances are against him.

Third, Zoicite, the youngest of the four. His green eyes and long, flowing blonde hair, would make any girl swoon for him, if he wasn't such a narcissist. Don't let this narcicenterpiecesou, however, he is more ruthless and backstabbing than any of them.

Lastly, Kunzite, the strongest of the four. On the surface, he may seem cold and a bit stoic, but under this guise, he hides many, many years of experience and training, using it to guide the younger generals. He has a very close relationship to Zoicite, but only they know how far it goes.

The generals put their right arms across their chest, hands closed into fists, and bowed to Queen Beryl. She nodded and they stood up.

"It is time, my generals," Beryl bellowed, "It is time to take our revenge on the Earth and the Moon Kingdom and fulfill our destiny of conquering the galaxy."

"Finally, our revenge is at hand," Kunzite said, "Our enemies will pay for our defeat."

"Are you sure we are ready, Queen Beryl?" Jadeite asked, "Surely, they will be expecting us."

"Not so, young Jadeite," Zoicite scorned, "The people of Earth have forgotten all about us...the Moon Kingdom made sure of that."

"Damn the Moon Kingdom!" Nephrite barked, "They will all fall to my blade and Queen Serenity will pay dearly for our defeat those years ago."

"Patience, Nephrite, the Moon can wait," Beryl said, "The Earth is our target for now. Prepare for the coming battle and get the troops together."

"Yes, Queen Beryl," the generals said.

The generals left to prepare for the coming battle...a battle that would spark a generations long war.

"They weren't here for us in the beginning," Beryl observed, "But, they are proving to be very valuable allies."

"They are just tools to us, Beryl. They will do anything for your favor," Metaria's voice rang in her head. "Them and the youma are yours to command. Bring this world to it's knees for the honor of our master!"

"Yes, Queen Metaria!" Beryl shouted, "The Earth and the Moon will pay for their transgressions and we shall rule the galaxy!"

It was early afternoon on Earth. Guards on the castle walls noticed a large, foreboding darkness approaching the city. One of them reported it to Prince Endymion and he and William went to check it out. After seeing it, the knights were called together and posted throughout the town. The citizens were told to return to their homes until further notice. William grabbed his sword and stationed himself at the castle gate, along with Endymion. As the darkness drew closer, William became uneasy.

"Any idea what it could be, Endymion? William asked.

"Not a clue, William," Endymion answered, "You?"

William shook his head. Endymion sighed gave a silent prayer, hoping everything would turn out all right.

Behind the darkness, Queen Beryl and her generals were leading the Dark Kingdom forces to battle. They were humans gathered from surrounding provinces of the Earth Kingdom.

"This should be a easy victory for us," Beryl, assured, addressing her troops, "Still, fight your hardest. Victory will be ours."

A cry of victory rang throughout the troops. They were a mix of humans who had been subjugated from outlying areas and various youma given to Beryl from Queen Metaria. At the front were the four Generals, swords in hand, ready for combat.

"Warriors," Beryl cried, "Charge!!!"

Suddenly out of the cloud of darkness, soldiers rushed out and attacked the village. The knight's met their foe in the streets and the battle began. William and Endymion charged through the evil horde, cutting down all who opposed them. Endymion stabbed one through the chest, while William decapitated another one. Endymion continued his assault, but William was pushed back towards the castle. William defeated the group and turned to follow Endymion, but he saw a young man, who looked not much older than William, fighting off a couple of knights.

"Leave them alone!" William shouted, turning to face him.

The young man finished off the knights, faced William, and smiled. His blade dripped red with blood.

"Another fool wished to challenge me?" he chuckled.

"Who are you and why are you attacking us?" William asked.

"We are your new masters, now, foolish human," the blond-haired man boasted, a cold stare in his eyes.

"We will defend ourselves forever, if need be," William barked, unfazed by his comments, "We will not allow evil to reign over the planet."

The young man shook his head and prepared to charge.

"When you meet your maker," the young man shouted, charging William, "Tell them Jadeite sent you!"

Jadeite attacked William, who parried. William struck back and cut Jadeite's face. Blood trickled from the open wound.

"You'll pay for that!" Jadeite growled, wiping his face, "No one touches a Dark Kingdom general and gets away."

"Dark Kingdom...the surrender notice!" William shouted, "Why are you attacking us?"

"We are destined to conquer the galaxy," Jadeite crowed, proudly, "The Earth is just a stepping stone to us."

"Not while I draw breath," William promised, "I will not allow evil to flourish."

William sliced at Jadeite, who blocked and locked their swords. Swords clenched in attrition, the warriors drew close.

"Who might you be?" Jadeite asked.

"I am William Serenity," William answered, "Prince of the Moon Kingdom."

"I see the Moon Kingdom still exists," Jadeite observed, smugly, "No matter, not even you can stop us this time."

William kicked the man forward. Jadeite fell from the blow, but quickly recovered.

"The Moon Kingdom will not allow your reign of terror to once again cover the Earth," William countered, "We will fight you to the very end."

"If the Moon Kingdom wishes to stand in our way, again," Jadeite said, "We will crush you like the wretched animals you are."

Jadeite lunged at William. William took a blind slice at him. Jadeite raised his sword above his head, ready to strike, but William's blade struck true. Jadeite grunted as the sword sliced through his torso and hit the ground with a thud. Jadeite rose to his knees, blood pooling at his feet. William was standing above him, ready to strike the deathblow, but in the shadows another was watching the battle.

William looked down at Jadeite, feeling no remorse. He had never killed before, but, even he knew, some men didn't deserve to draw breath, "Pray to your gods, if you have any...you are about to meet them!"

William began to strike down, but was stopped when he felt a sword slice into his back. He grunted and fell to the ground. Jadeite stood up, his wound having healed itself due to his dark powers.

"You're a little late, Nephrite," Jadeite scolded, "If I am left with a scar, I shall make you pay.

Jadeite glared at him, motioning to the bloody tear in his uniform. Nephrite looked at him angrily.

"If that's the thanks I get," Nephrite scorned, "Maybe, I should have let you die."

Jadeite said nothing. He grabbed his sword and stood by Nephrite.

"Should we finish him off or take him with us?" Jadeite asked.

Nephrite shrugged. Just then, two more figures came from the shadows, Generals Zoicite and Kunzite.

"I saw the battle," Kunzite commented, "He's a tough one. Let's take him home, we could use more warriors like him."

Zoicite agreed, "Yes, it would be nice to have a new general."

They all nodded, agreeing to take him, but William got up and grabbed his sword. He felt the pain of the wound and the blood trickling down his back, but he didn't care. He was not going to go without a fight.

"You'll never take me alive!" William threatened, gritting his teeth.

"You dare to take on all four of the great Dark Kingdom generals?" Kunzite said, almost mocking him.

William grabbed a dead knight's sword, holding a blade in each hand, and stared down his enemy.

"Without fear!," William seethed, charging them, no fear in his eyes.

William felt a rush of adrenaline unlike anything he had ever felt before. He had never had to fight for his survival, for this was his first, real battle. The first real test of his skills...and he was not going to fail.

His charge shocked the generals greatly. He slashed Zoicite and Kunzite, who blocked, but the force of the blows caused them to fall. William turned his blades to Jadeite and Nephrite, who quickly fell to William's wrath.

"Gather yourselves, generals!" Kunzite commanded, "Together nothing can stop us!"

The generals got up and readied themselves. William launched another assault, but was stopped when Nephrite kneed him in the stomach, causing William to spit up blood and fall to the ground. They were going to attack, but a woman appeared before them. The generals bowed to her.

"Come, my generals, we are retreating," Beryl said, "They were much more than I expected. We shall regroup and fight another day."

"Yes, Queen Beryl," the generals said.

William got up and saw the group walking away from him.

"You're not going anywhere!" William shouted, charging them.

Queen Beryl turned and faced the charging William. She concentrated her negative energy and blasted him with it. William flew into the castle's outer wall, dropping the dead knight's sword from his left hand. The group turned and began walking away. William strained to get up and balance himself. The fires of anger were burning in his eyes as he leapt at Queen Beryl, his sword held high, and prepared to strike. Beryl saw him out of the corner of her eye and blasted him again at point blank range. William was launched, yet again, into the cold stone of the castle wall. A trail of blood followed him to the ground. William struggled to stand, but he could not. His eyes rolled back and closed. Beryl and the generals approached him.

"Is he...dead?" Zoicite asked.

Nephrite nodded, "Undoubtedly. No one should be able to live from that kind of blast."

"He is only one of the many who will fall in our conquest of the galaxy," Beryl noted, "Who was he?"

"He was William Serenity, Prince of the Moon Kingdom," Jadeite answered.

"Well, let us leave this place," Beryl ordered, walking away, "I guess we'll have to pay Queen Serenity a visit."

Beryl and her generals laughed as they returned to the Dark Kingdom.

William lay there against the castle, lying in a pool of his own blood. He wasn't moving, barely breathing, but still clinging to life. He couldn't move a muscle or open his eyes. His thoughts turned to Beryl's last words.

"I guess we'll have to pay Queen Serenity a visit."

He thought of Queen Beryl hurting, torturing Serenity, and even killing her. The one person he cared for more than anything. He could not have himself beaten now...not when his existence matters most.

"I can't die now," William thought, "Serenity is in danger...I have to protect her."

William, finally, got his eyes opened and tried to move, but he could not. His heart sank and he silently cried.

"I'm sorry, mother." William thought, dolefully, "I won't be able to protect you anymore."

William coughed, blood trickling from his mouth, closed his eyes, and lay silently.

An hour after the battle ended, Endymion and the surviving knights were cleaning up the city and taking away the fallen to be buried. One of the knights found William and informed Endymion, who ran to his friend. He kneeled beside him, not believing his own eyes.

"William! Wake up!" Endymion shouted, shaking him, "Dammit! If he dies, we'll have two wars on our hands."

No response came from William. He lay there, motionless. Endymion checked him, finding no breath or pulse.

"Take him away," Endymion said, remorsefully, "Have a casket built for him. I'll take him home when we're finished."

As the knights carried him away, Endymion shed a tear for his fallen friend and brother in arms. He could not believe William fell in his first real battle. How would he explain this to Queen Serenity and King Cyrus? Would this spark a war between their nations? When they laid William on a plank of wood to carry him away, he began to stir and moan in pain.

"Endymion?" William called, weakly.

Endymion heard his voice and ran to his side.

"William!" Endymion shouted, wiping his eyes, "I thought you were dead."

"It'll take more than this to keep me down," William mused, "I was taught by the best, you know."

Endymion motioned to the knights carrying William to follow him and ordered the others to continue to clean up. They took William home to the Moon Kingdom. Serenity and Cyrus came to meet them.

"William!" Serenity shouted, "Is he...?"

"No, he's asleep," Prince Endymion said, "He was severely injured in a battle."

Serenity turned to King Cyrus, "Prepare a Moon Energy Bath for William."

"Are you sure, my dear?" he asked, "He may heal naturally with time."

Serenity gave him a serious look. Cyrus nodded and went to have it prepared.

"What is a Moon Energy Bath?" Prince Endymion asked.

"It is a secret healing technique developed years ago," she explained, "It will hyper-accelerate his healing and make him more resistant to injury."

"Do you use it often?" he queried.

"Only in extreme situations, such as this," she answered," Let's go."

Serenity, Endymion, and the knights carrying William walked to the castle basement, which also served as the castle laboratory. A scientist led them into a room full of containers filled with a strange liquid.

"What is in these cylinders?" Endymion asked.

"Liquid Moon Energy," the scientist said.

Shackles were placed on William's wrists and a breathing mask was placed over his head. He was lifted and lowered into one of the cylinders.

"Prince Endymion, husband, come with me," Serenity said, then turned to the scientist, "Keep me advised on William. If anything changes, please contact me."

The scientist nodded and looked at some instruments on the cylinder. The two men followed Serenity. The knights returned home to help with the clean up effort. They went to the throne room to talk.

"Prince Endymion," Serenity said, "I made the preparations for William to be knighted."

"It'll be the perfect reward for William's bravery in battle," he said, "He fought very bravely and he was able to defeat our knights in practice duels."

"Oh yes?" Serenity asked.

"His skills are beyond anything I have seen in someone so young," Endymion commented, "I just hope he survives."

Serenity nodded, "Okay, young prince you may return home. We'll let you know, when he's better."

Endymion turned to leave, but turned back around, "One more thing, before I go. Will this affect any diplomatic matters between our kingdoms?"

Cyrus looked at him and shook his head, "William was hurt defending your kingdom. An investigation will surely be undertaken, but I am sure the Earth Kingdom was not the aggressor. No, diplomatic relations amongst our kingdoms are still stable."

Endymion nodded and left. Serenity sat on her throne and sighed.

"You look concerned, my dear," Cyrus said, standing beside her "What is wrong?"

"William's injuries worry me," Serenity confided.

"What about them?" he asked.

"Some of his wounds looked to be caused by Negative energy," she observed.

A look of shock came over him, "You don't mean?"

"Yes," she said, bowing her head, "The Dark Kingdom may be back."

"How?" he asked, "You defeated their ranks, erased their memories…how could this happen?"

"Perhaps, I should have destroyed them when I had the chance," she guessed, "They were very formidable adversaries. If not for the alliance of the Moon and Earth forces, they would've won the war."

So, what can we do about this?" he asked.

"We could just leave it as an Earth matter, but we both know they will come after us," Serenity spoke, "I should have kept a watch on the warning signs. I was too confident that they were gone. Cyrus...I'm a fool."

Serenity bowed her head and began to cry. Cyrus embraced her.

"Cyrus…" she said, tearfully, "What are we to do? We are not ready for another war. Can we...can we win again?!"

He kissed Serenity, "I have no doubts, my love."

Prince Endymion was told to return home, but he did not. He had not seen his beloved, in so long, he had to take this chance to see her. He snuck his way down the halls of the castle to her room and entered. Princess Serenity was in front of her mirror, brushing her hair, which was down, for a change. She saw him, in the reflection, and turned around.

"Endymion," she said, shocked, but relieved, "What a wonderful surprise."

"Yes, my sweet," he said, "I was here and I had to see you."

"Why are you here?" she asked, "I thought you were with William on Earth."

"We were attacked and William was seriously injured," he responded, "I brought him back and he was placed in one of the cylinders in the basement."

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, worriedly, "I hope he's going to be all right."

"He will, my love, I assure you," he said, calming her worry, "I was told to leave, but I had to come and see you."

They embraced, Endymion running his finger through her hair. Serenity felt the warmth of Endymion's body...the soft love of his touch. It hurt her, inside that they had to keep their love secret, but, for them to be together, they would have to…forever if that's what it takes.

"Endymion, I love you...more than anyone," she said, looking into his deep blue eyes, "It hurts me that we have to keep it a secret, but, if we have to, I will."

"I'm sorry, my sweet," he said, his tone soft and soothing, "I don't know if your parents would accept it and I don't want to take the chance of not seeing you, again."

"Don't talk about it...just hold me close," she said, burying her face into his chest.

Moments like this didn't come to often for them. They had to make them last, even if they were for a short time. They shared a kiss...one they wanted to last forever, but, alas, it could not. Endymion released the kiss and said his good-byes, then leaving for home, to continue the clean up effort.

A few days later, William was completely healed and preparations were all set for his knighting ceremony. He spent the whole day preparing himself, for today he fulfills a lifelong dream.

It was early evening when William had finished preparing for the event. He was sitting in a chair in his room reading a book called "The History of the Moon Kingdom" by author Edward Juliet. He was deep into the book's last chapter "The Silver Millennium" and was just about finished. William loved to read and tried to every chance he could. He had reached the end of the book when he heard a knocking at the door.

"Who is it?" William asked, walking to the door.

"We are here to escort you to the throne room, Prince Serenity," a voice said.

William opened the door and saw two guards standing there. One of them motioned for William to follow. Minutes later, they arrived outside the throne room. The guards opened the door and William entered.

The throne room was extravagantly decorated from wall to wall. A red carpet was rolled out between the doors and the king and queen's thrones. Guests were standing around, on the throne room floor and on the out looking balconies, looking at William in awe and cheering for him. The knights were standing on each side of the carpet, their swords crossed above the carpet. William was motioned to approach the queen. As William came forward, the swords of the knights behind him came down. When he reached Serenity, he kneeled and bowed to her. Standing near her, King Cyrus, Prince Endymion, Princess Serenity, and Edgar Shinka bowed to him. Edgar handed Queen Serenity a sword called the Moon Blade, a mighty sword infused with Moon energy.

"Prince William Serenity," the queen said, smiling as she unsheathed the sword, "For your bravery and courage protecting Prince Endymion's homeland from invasion and in recognition of your skills, I knight thee Sir William Serenity!"

She touched the flat of the Moon Blade to each of William's shoulders. Tears of joy came to William's eyes. His lifelong dream had been fulfilled...he was now a knight!

"I also give you a gift, the Moon Blade," she said, "I hope it will serve you well."

She sheathed the Moon Blade and handed it to William, who graciously took it and hugged his mother. The crowd cheered for their prince, as he looked out to the crowd, now a knight of the Moon Kingdom. William was about to walk away, but turned to face Serenity.

"Mother?" he asked, "May I return to Earth to with Prince Endymion?"

"Why, if I may ask?," she said.

"There is so much more I can learn from the knights and the kingdom may be attacked again," he explained, "So, could I go, please?"

She looked the king. Both of them were uneasy about sending their only son back to where he was so gravely hurt, but this may be his destiny. Cyrus' face was blank as he nodded in agreement. She looked back at William, smiled and nodded.

"Thank you," he said, "Prince Endymion, I shall be preparing for the trip in my room."

He nodded. William bowed to the group and walked out of the throne room, waving to the cheering crowd as he did.

William spent about half an hour packing some more things for his trip to Earth. He didn't want to take much because his other bags were still on Earth, due to the haste caused by his return trip home. He had almost finished packing, when Serenity entered the room and sat next to him. She had a mysterious book in her hand, which she tried to keep hidden from view.

"We need to talk about a few things," Serenity said.

"What is it now?" William asked, showing not much interest in talking.

"The people that hurt you," she began, "Who were they?"

"They said they were from the Dark Kingdom," he replied, "Four generals and the supposed Queen were there. The Queen blasted me a couple times, causing me to fly into the castle wall, and the severity of my injuries."

"I remember nothing about four generals, but this queen must be Beryl. So, they have returned," she said, a distinct sadness in her voice, "We will be at war again soon."

"Who is this 'Dark Kingdom' and what do they want?" he queried.

She handed him the book she was carrying. It was called, simply "The Dark Kingdom".

"This will tell you everything you need to know," she explained, "About them, their cause, the first war...everything. Just keep it from prying eyes. Earth knows nothing of what is in those pages."

"Okay," he said, "Now, I have something to read while I'm down there."

"Now, about the sword I gave you," she started, again, "It will allow you to become the Super Soldier, Moon Knight."

"Really? Like a Sailor Senshi?" he asked, almost grinning, "How?"

"Hold up the sword, say 'Moon Power, Suit up!', and you'll transform into him," she explained, "It will give you the power to defeat any evil that stands in your way."

William nodded and continued to pack his things. Serenity walked up to him and grabbed his arm.

"William, listen." she began, sadness in her voice, "I never expected them to return. I thought once I had defeated them, they would be gone forever, but I was wrong. Now, my foolishness may mean the end of the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Millennium. I wish I had destroyed them for good, when I had the chance, but that would've meant destroying my own kingdom and I couldn't do that to save Earth. It's a choice that has caused much sadness...and will cause more now."

He nodded, not really listening to her. She turned him, so he was facing her.

"William," she said, shaking with fear, "Promise me you'll never let them get you. Promise me what happened to you won't happen again. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, my only son...my beacon of hope."

She began to cry. He embraced and comforted her.

"I promise," he said, "I won't let them get me or destroy this kingdom. I will protect you and everyone with all my strength. I'll not let the peace end without a fight."

She looked at him, tears were streaming down her face. He wiped them and she blushed a bit.

"William..." she started.

Before she could get out anymore, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" William called.

"It's me, Prince Endymion," a voice said, "It's time to leave, if you're going with me. There's still much to do with the clean-up and casualty reports are coming in."

"All right," William said, "Give me a second."

"I love you, my son," Serenity said.

"I love you, mother," William said.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek, collected his things, and walked towards the door.

"Goodbye," he called to her, "I'll see you soon."

She waved to him. William found Endymion outside and went with him back to Earth, where much work was to be done.


	2. First Encounters

Moon Knight Saga

Chapter 2

First Encounters

Two months have passed since William departed to Earth with Prince Endymion to train with the knights of Earth. The kingdom has been under siege for the past few weeks. The Dark Kingdom is using soldiers from surrounding provinces to attack, but William and the other knights has fought bravely and courageously against the dark forces. This posed a great threat to Queen Beryl, who was under orders from Queen Metaria. In the Dark Kingdom, Beryl was holding a meeting of her generals.

"Why have you had so much trouble conquering the remainder of the Earth Kingdom?" Beryl asked.

"It's that damned William Serenity and the rest of those bastards!" Nephrite shouted, "I'm just glad the foolish humans are dying and not us."

"The little brat's too much for you, Nephrite," Zoicite mocked.

"Quiet, you insolent bitch!" Nephrite barked.

Nephrite and Zoicite stared angrily at each other. Kunzite cleared his throat, ending their bickering.

"Is he ready, Queen Beryl?" Kunzite asked.

"No, unfortunately, his sword is taking more time to make than previously expected," Beryl said.

"Are the rumors true, concerning his strength?" Kunzite questioned.

"In time, he will become our finest warrior," Beryl said.

"In time?" Jadeite observed, with a hint of worry in his voice, "If we take more time, we may yet again lose this war."

"Do not despair, Jadeite," Queen Beryl assured, "Soon, the galaxy will be ours. No one will be able to stand in our way! Dismissed!"

The generals left the throne room to take care of their own personal business. Queen Beryl left to the basement laboratory. Upon entering, she saw a scientist examining his notes.

"Have you progressed any today?" she asked him.

"No, but we should have his weapon ready soon," he answered.

"Why are you having so much trouble?" she asked.

"We had trouble getting the energy to change form, but with the new technology given to us, "he explained, "We were successful."

"Good, but finish soon. We've taken too much time and used so much energy on him," she said, "Failure is not an option! Where is he?"

The scientist took he to an adjacent room. Inside, there were other scientists, some studying instrument panels and others looking through the window of the next room. The room was totally dark, except for a single spotlight that shined on a human-like figure inside. His pure white hair was a bit past shoulder length and his skin was light purple. The figure was huddled into a corner, quietly sobbing.

"Why is he crying?" Beryl asked.

"We believe that the Negative energy flowing through his body is the cause of his pain," a scientist explained.

Queen Beryl knocked on the glass with her scepter. The figure looked up at her with a pained expression on his face and tears in his eyes.

"Actually, many of us are surprised he even survived up to this point," he observed.

"Yes?" Beryl asked, interested, quirking her brow, "What makes you say that?"

"Well, he underwent over 20 Negative energy injections," he explained, "Most can't handle more than a few, but somehow he has managed to hold on. Some of his bodily organs had to be replaced, but he pulled through. He's tough and he will be very powerful."

"Yes," Beryl smiled, but it quickly disappeared, "Do you know when you will be finished?"

"We will be finished soon," he said, "Progress is moving along extremely well. Return here later and we should be ready."

Beryl nodded and left. She went to a room that was just off the throne room. It was a place that only she was allowed to enter. A chill ran down her spine as she entered and bowed to the shadowy figure that appeared before her.

"My master, Queen Metaria, I have a report on our special project," Beryl said.

The shadowy figure before her was, none other than, Queen Metaria, ruler of the Dark Kingdom.

"What do you have to report, Beryl?" she asked, "It better not be news of more delays or I'll have your head!"

"Well, we are having some difficulty defeating the Earth Kingdom," Beryl admitted.

"Difficulty?" Metaria groaned, "Do I have to do everything myself?!"

"No, my queen. We can handle it," Beryl responded, "I also came to tell you that he is almost complete."

"Oh yes? That is excellent news!" Metaria said, "The culmination of all our trials and research. My dream will turn into the Moon Kingdom's nightmare!"

Metaria and Beryl laughed evilly and spoke of other business of the day. Later, Beryl bowed again to her queen and returned to the castle laboratory. The scientists were where the young man was being held. One of them was carrying a sword. The sword was a fearsome was it was evil. It's two handed design featured a blade of around forty inches with a hilt making up an additional fifteen. About four inches from the hit, two parrying spikes protruded out from the blade for extra protection. The guard was composed of two demon wings and the pommel was in the shape of a demon's head.

"What is that?" she queried, eyeballing the blade, as a shiver ran down her spine.

"This is the Shadow Sword, the weapon of our mightiest warrior," the head scientist said, "The project is complete, and now to see what they can do."

He opened the door to the containment room, took the sword from his colleague, and entered the room. He walked in a put down the sword next to the young man.

"You know what to do," he told him, "Don't disappoint us."

He walked out and sealed the containment room. The young man felt around trying to find the sword. When he found it, he tightly grasped the handle.

"Shadow Power," he whispered.

At first, nothing. Moments passed and there was nothing but an ominous silence. Queen Beryl grew impatient.

"Why is nothing happening?" she asked, angrily.

"I don't know," he said, frantically, "Everything was calculated perfectly. Someone go in and see what's wrong."

The head scientist commanded one of the others to check. The door to the containment room was opened and the scientist entered, but a massive explosion of energy quickly threw him out. The young man was now standing, his head down and arms limp. The scientists were stunned, but Beryl was very pleased.

The sword floated before him as dark energy from it enveloped the young man. Then, he opened his eyes for the first time since his last energy injection, just twenty-four hours prior. His eyes were a glowing red and they sent chills down the scientists' spines. An evil echoing laugh was heard and there there was another explosion, so bright that Beryl and the scientists had to shield their eyes.

"What's going on?!" one scientist shouted.

"The energy from the sword may be overloading him," another said, "The growth rate is utterly maddening. It could be too much for his body to take."

"It is impossible...they're forming a symbiotic bond?!" a third called, "Is that thing alive?!"

"This is more than we could have ever hoped for!" the head scientist said, "If we could apply the technology we used to create the sword into a being of pure energy, the end result could possibly be even more powerful..."

The fourth scientist in the room fainted just as the light dimmed. A man clad in dark armor came from the room and bowed to Queen Beryl. A cold, evil chill filled the room.

"I am ready to serve you, Queen Beryl," he said, his voice deep, chilling, and powerful, "I, Dark Knight await your command."

She shook the shock out of her system and nodded with a smirk, "Yes, Dark Knight, come with me."

"Queen Beryl, we need to brief him on his powers," the head scientist said.

"It has told me all I need to know. There is no need for explanation," Dark Knight said, "By your leave, my queen."

Queen Beryl and Dark Knight walked to the throne room. He hid in the shadows, where no one could see him. Beryl called a meeting of all of her minions. When everyone had arrived, she stood before them and began to speak.

"Welcome everyone," she began, "Today is the beginning of our golden age. The project has finally been completed. It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you our newest general, Dark Knight!"

Dark Knight came out of the shadows and a spotlight was shined upon him. He had his arms crossed and looked out on the Dark Kingdom forces. His eyes widened, but since they were like a couple of fireballs, they seemed to flare up. Many in the audience seemed to feel the aura of darkness he emanated and turned away or hid themselves from his view. Jadeite was very impressed, as were Zoicite and Kunzite, but Nephrite was not.

"I can feel his energy," Jadeite noted, cringing in fear, "It's very powerful."

"I wonder what he looks like under that armor," Zoicite flirted, "I bet he's very handsome."

Zoicite winked at him, but he took no notice. He scoffed him, but Kunzite comforted him. Nephrite looked at Dark Knight unconvincingly and decided to investigate further.

"So," Nephrite began, "What does he have that we don't?"

Beryl turned to Dark Knight and nodded. He took the Shadow Sword from its sheath, at his side, and held it high. An ordinary human would have needed two hands to wield such a blade, but seemed a perfect match, for the dark warrior, for he held it with one hand.

"I present you with our ultimate weapon, the Shadow Sword!" Beryl said.

"What can this sword do?" Jadeite queried, fearfully, "Or should I even ask?"

"With the Shadow Sword, Dark Knight can..." she began, but was interrupted by one of the scientists that came from the laboratory.

The scientist spoke to her and then left. Beryl turned to her court.

"We seem to have prepared a demonstration for all of you," she said, "It seems we have a prisoner from our last battle and wish to make an example of him."

A group of guards brought a human and threw him in front of Beryl and the crowd. The human looked around, showing no signs of fear within him. He turned to Beryl and spit in her face. She slapped him in rebuttal.

She wiped the spit from her face, "You still have some fight in you..but it is useless. Join us willingly and you will feel no pain."

"Evil wench!" the prisoner shouted, gritting his teeth, "I would rather die than serve you!"

"If that is what you wish..." she smirked, turning to Dark Knight, "Do with him what you will, Dark Knight." Beryl walked and sat on her throne, ready to enjoy the show.

Dark Knight stepped forward and smiled an unseen smile as he raised his sword and twirled it in the air, causing a dark energy swirl. he went a trance. He closed his eyes and grasping the Shadow Sword with both hands, pointed it toward the prisoner. Then, he placed the blade against his helmet and focused his energy. A flash of dark light came form the sword, indicating that the sword was charged. He jumped back raised the sword above his head.

"Dark Destruction!!" he yelled, swinging his sword and cutting the air.

Dark energy came from his sword and crashed into the prisoner, killing him instantly. A loud gasp came from the crowd as his body hit the ground with a thud, but Dark Knight's little show wasn't over. He walked over to the huddled corpse.

"Dark Reanimation!!" he shouted, touching his sword to the dead body.

The prisoner's corpse began to glow and then he opened his eyes and tried to stand up, but crashed to his knees. The crowd was shocked...only Queen Metaria was capable of such a feat, but Dark Knight was still not done.

"Dark Coercion!!" he said, again shouting so that all could hear.

He touched the flat of the Shadow Sword to the prisoner's head. Dark Energy from the sword leeched its way into his mind. He began to scream in agony. He fell, clutching his head. Dark Knight laughed quietly.

"Get out!!" he shouted, banging his head against the floor, "Get...out...of...my...head!!"

He grabbed a dagger from his belt and tried to kill himself, but Dark Knight kicked it away.

"No!!" he screamed, banging his head on the floor, "Can't let...you control....me!"

He fell flat, letting out one last blood-curdling scream, then became eerily quiet. He stood upright and looked to Queen Beryl, his eyes cold and distant.

"I am ready and willing to serve you, Queen Beryl," he said, placing his fist to his chest and bowing his head.

The crowd, many of who still shocked by Dark Knight's display of power, erupted in conversation. Kunzite ordered them to quiet down. The other generals surrounded him. Dark Knight stood stoically, silently smiling...knowing he was feared.

"W, w, wow!" Jadeite exclaimed, "Now, maybe we can win this war!"

Kunzite smiled, "I'm impressed, newcomer. Welcome to the Dark Kingdom."

Kunzite extended his hand to Dark Knight, but he did not take it, only nodding to his new ally. He sheathed the Shadow Sword and looked to Beryl.

"Well, I'm not impressed," Nephrite barked, "So, the kid has a sword. He still has to prove himself."

"This man has already proven himself to have great strength, Nephrite," Kunzite remarked, "What more proof do you need?"

"I think he's just jealous," Zoicite teased, "Afraid that he'll become Beryl's new favorite."

"I think we should all be afraid," Jadeite murmured, "He could strike us all down and become the Dark Kingdom's only general."

"Have no fear of that, Jadeite," Beryl assured, "He knows who his friends are...and his enemies."

"How well does he fight?" Nephrite queried, "Does he even know how to use that sword?"

"I…I don't think I'd want to find out," Jadeite shuttered, a tinge of fear in his tone.

"I think I will," Nephrite proclaimed, showing no fear.

A sword materialized in Nephrite's hand and he gave Dark Knight a cold, steely stare.

"I challenge you to a duel, Dark Knight!" Nephrite shouted.

Dark Knight stared Nephrite down and shook his head. Nephrite, as well as the other generals were shocked.

"I see you are a coward after all," Nephrite mocked, "All show and no action."

"I have no quarrel with you. Our enemy is out there, not here," Dark Knight countered, "I have nothing to prove to a weakling such as yourself."

"H-how dare you call me a weakling?!" Nephrite scorned, "I'll make you pay!"

The crowd gasped as Nephrite struck at Dark Knight. Dark Knight dodged the blow and looked at Nephrite angrily. Dark Knight's eyes flared as he unsheathed the Shadow Sword and sliced toward Nephrite. Their swords met with a loud crash and a flash of light. Nephrite pulled back and struck again, but Dark Knight blocked and tried one of his own. Nephrite tried to block, but Dark Knight's power overwhelmed him and he fell. Dark Knight sheathed his sword looked down on Nephrite as if to say "Don't try that again."

"He, he defeated Nephrite!" Jadeite said, "Very impressive!"

"Nephrite was already weak," Zoicite mused, "He only had to have someone prove it to him."

Nephrite got back up and put his sword away. He glared at Zoicite and said nothing. The generals returned to their place on the floor. Beryl was about to speak, but was interrupted by a booming voice.

"If all of you are done with this nonsense, let us begin with our battle plans," the voice boomed.

A shadowy figure appeared before all of them. Everyone bowed to this figure, including Beryl, but Dark Knight did not know who she was and did not.

"My queen," Beryl greeted, "What is your command?"

"I have been watching this display of power and I must say that you have exceeded my expectations, Dark Knight," Queen Metaria commended, "Nephrite, stifle your feelings and concentrate on our mission. We do not want any more failures!"

"Y-yes, Queen Metaria," Nephrite said, slightly stuttering out of fear.

Dark Knight, realizing who this figure was, bowed to Queen Metaria, which pleased her. Even she had a twinge of fear for their new comrade, but it seems he knows his place.

"Beryl, continue as planned," Metaria commanded, "You should not fail, like the last time."

"Yes, my queen," Beryl beamed, "Victory shall be ours."

It was night on Earth and there was a slight chill in the air. William was again keeping lookout on the castle rooftop. He was still reading The Dark Kingdom and learning still about his enemies. He was so engrossed in his reading that he did not see Endymion coming towards him.

"Hello, William," Endymion said, "I brought you some warm soup. I thought you could use a warm-up on this cold night. You don't have to do this, but we appreciate the help, given our situation. You've been very kind and have not asked for anything in return."

William nodded to him and took the bowl of soup, "As long as I am here, I will do all I can to assist. The Earth Kingdom is in dire straits and needs all the help it can get."

William laid his book down and began to eat. Endymion picked up the book and looked at the cover.

"Does the Moon have some intel on our enemy that we should know about?" Endymion asked.

William remembered the warning that his mother had told him about letting anyone know he had it, but he felt that he could trust Endymion with a bit of knowledge. "We know a little, that's all."

"From the looks of it, you know more than just a little, William," Endymion remarked, noting the size of the book, "Is there something your people aren't telling us?"

William felt a little uncomfortable having lied to his friend. Mother had told him that the Earth people needed to be kept from this knowledge and, having read most of the book, knew why, but Endymion was his best friend. He thought surely he would understand why his mother did what she did so long ago. But...he couldn't go against his mother.

"It's mostly just speculation in there, " William remarked, lying and hoping not to get caught, "We know just as much as you do."

Endymion looked at him for a minute, wondering if his best friend would lie to him. Though, he knew that, even if William did know anything, his mother would tell him not to say anything and he knows they are too close. Endymion just nodded, "I am sorry for doubting you, my friend." He could tell that he was lying, but he didn't want to push anything. That book is simply too thick and looks too old to be speculation.

William finished his soup and exchanged the bowl for the book from Endymion. "It's quite all right, my friend. Things between are kingdoms aren't exactly at their best, right now."

Endymion nodded, "True, but we can't let that come between us. I should go. There are many things to take care of before I retire for the evening...you know how that is."

Endymion chuckled a little uneasily and sauntered off. William just sighed...he didn't like what he just did, but it had to be done. Getting his mind off it, he unsheathed his sword, the Moon Blade. as he meticulously inspected it, he made note of the intricate craftsmanship. The blade itself was seemingly thirty-five inches in length, with the hilt being another ten or twelve. It also had a crescent moon guard and pommel, adding to its distinction. She also said this sword had tremendous power, despite this it look like any other hand-and-a-half swords that the soldiers used in battle.

"Could this sword truly hold the power Serenity said?" he thought, "If the Dark Kingdom attacks, we shall see!"

He put the sword away and began to read again.

William was relieved by one of the other knights and went to his room to sleep for the remainder of the night. He woke up about noon and went to the kitchen and had breakfast cooked for him. While he was eating, Endymion came in and greeted him. William finished his breakfast and then he and Endymion went to the training grounds for this days training.

"Okay, William," Endymion said, "Use that new sword your mother gave you. You should adjust to it so you can use it effectively in battle."

William nodded and unsheathed the Moon Blade for its first use. He looked at Endymion and signaled that he was ready.

"Here we go!" Endymion shouted.

Endymion launched an attack on William. Their swords clashed as Endymion came upon him. William blocked and came back with an attack of his own, but Endymion sidestepped the blow and turned to face William.

"Good move, Endymion," William commented.

William wasn't the only one commenting on the duel. Several knights standing guard on the castle walls were watching the battle and began to go down for a closer look. Along the way, they told their comrades about what was going on and they came along to see the duel.

William and Endymion were fighting hard and did not even notice the crowd that had gathered around them. They called a slight break and soon noticed their fans watching them.

"These guards have left their post," Endymion said, "What are they doing here?"

"Hey, why don't we give them a show they won't soon forget?" William asked, grinning playfully.

"Sounds fun," Endymion said, smiling.

Endymion surprised William with an elbow to he gut and a fist to the face, knocking him off his feet. William rolled on the ground, then flipped himself and charged Endymion. Endymion blocked, but the force of William's blow caused him to slide a bit.

"So, that's how you want to play?" William said, laughing and struggling to hold Endymion back.

"You said to give them a show," Endymion said, "I'm just giving them what they want."

The crowd was enjoying this immensely. It had already split into a cheering section for each combatant. Some were even making bets on the outcome.

William and Endymion dashed back to collect themselves, but William was quicker and surprised his foe, charging him to the ground. Endymion swept William's legs, causing him to fall, and flipped himself up. He pointed his sword at William, but it was not over yet. William reflected the blade, knocking it out of Endymion's hand. Endymion leapt for his sword, giving William time to get up. Endymion grabbed his sword and charged William again, but he was caught off guard when William jumped over him and kicked him in the back of the head.

"Oh, you want to play rough?" Endymion barked, as he recovered, "I'll play rough!"

William charged Endymion, sword held high, but all he met was Endymion's closed fist. Endymion used William's own force to drive it deep into William's abdomen. William dropped to one knee while the crowd cheered. William spit up a small quantity of blood on the ground. William wiped his chin and stood up.

"You make me bleed," William said, seething, "I'll make you bleed!"

William led a full on attack, blinding Endymion with a barrage of blows, the last of which caught Endymion in his right shoulder. Endymion dropped to one knee, clutching the wound, sword still in hand. William stood above his foe, raised his sword and cut down. Endymion looked up in fear and the crowd gasped. All that was heard after that was the sound of clanging metal. Endymion blocked the attack, but the block aggravated his wound. Endymion used the force of the block to tackle William, but Endymion fell and landed on top of him.

"Having fun, William?" Endymion asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"This is the most fun I've had in a long while," William said, smiling slyly.

William threw Endymion off of him. They both prepared again for the fight. Endymion attacked first, but missed when William jumped over him. William landed behind Endymion, tried to turn and slash, but William blocked, knocking Endymion's sword form his hand and putting his own to his foe's neck.

"Looks like I win," William said, "It was a good fight."

"Not yet," Endymion retorted.

Endymion swept William off his feet. William let go of his sword during the fall, but Endymion caught it and pointed it toward William.

"Looks like I win," Endymion said.

William shook his head and kicked Endymion in the gut, caught his falling sword and jumped on top of Endymion, putting the edge of the blade to his neck.

Endymion laughed, "Looks like you win,"

William nodded and stood up. He helped Endymion up. The crowd cheered the warriors on their duel. William and Endymion bowed to their audience.

"Now that we're done," Endymion said to them, his face going from a smile to sheer seriousness, "Return to your posts!"

The crowd let out a collective groan and went back to their duties. William and Endymion looked at each other and shook each other's hands.

"You did a good job, William," Endymion said, "I never imagined you would do so well against me. Your kingdom would be proud"

"Maybe, but I still consider my training incomplete," William said, "I think we deserve a drink."

William and Endymion left the training ground and had dinner. The duel had lasted most of the afternoon and it was getting dark.

After dinner, William returned to his room and continued to read the book he had received from Serenity. He was almost finished with the book and he could better understand what drives them to their goal, but he must stand in their way, for the lives of the people of Earth, maybe the whole galaxy, would be in danger if he did not. He finished the last of the book and went to sleep.

William awoke the next morning and ate breakfast with Endymion. Later, they were preparing to join the knights for an early training session, when a guard stormed into the castle.

"Prince Endymion, sir!" he said, breathlessly.

"What is it?" Endymion asked.

"The city is under attack," he said, "The Dark Kingdom is the believed culprit."

"Damn it, not again!" Endymion shouted, "Alert the knights, dear sir. William, let's go!"

William nodded and the two ran outside to confront the dark forces invading the city. Endymion unsheathed his sword and ran into the fray, but William hid in the shadows.

"Well, this time is as good as any," William said, "It is time, to call upon the power of the Moon Blade."

He unsheathed the Moon Blade and held it above his head. "I sure hope this works...Moon Blade Power!!" he shouted.

After the words were spoken, the Moon Blade floated from his hand and began to glow. Bands of Moon energy came from the sword and began to envelop him. He closed his fists and crossed his arms across his chest. The energy enveloped his arms, and in a flash of light, his gauntlets and bracers appeared. Moon energy then covered his chest and torso. William thrust his arms to his side, and in a flash, his body armor appeared. Next, the energy wrapped around his legs, creating his armored greaves and leg armor. Then, the energy formed a helmet above his head, which came down over his head and latched to his armor. The Moon Blade then appeared before him. He grabbed the sword and swung it in front of him a few times and put it in its sheath, which was on his back. Lastly, he crossed his arms and looked forward. William Serenity, for the first time, had become the Super Soldier, Moon Knight. He could feel an unbelievable power flowing through him.

"Wow, this is amazing!" he exclaimed, looking at himself, "Now, I can defeat them."

Moon Knight unsheathed his sword and charged into the battle, defeating all who opposed him and saving many villagers in the process, which he directed to go to the castle for safety. He had defeated another enemy soldier, when he heard a commotion coming from the center of the village. He ran there to see what was the problem. When he arrived, he saw a terrifying sight, a knight, clad in dark armor, was killing the innocent people trying to flee. A woman, trying to escape, fell and hurt herself. Unfortunately, the knight saw her fall.

"Foolish human," he said, in a deep, terse tone, "You cannot escape me!"

The dark warrior raised his sword above his head and cut down. Moon Knight ran and slid under the blow and blocked it with his sword. The evil soldier jumped back and looked at Moon Knight. The woman crawled away from them and hid behind a tree.

"Who are you?" the dark warrior asked.

"I am Moon Knight, champion of the Moon Kingdom," Moon Knight, responded, "And you are?"

"I am Dark Knight, champion of the Dark Kingdom," he answered.

The two warriors stood with their swords drawn, staring each other down and measuring each other up. Impatiently, Moon Knight broke the silence and charged the enemy.

Moon Knight began with a barrage of blows that were efficiently blocked by Dark Knight. He tried again, but it proved worthless. Dark Knight began his attack, which Moon Knight was able to block, but Dark Knight's strength proved a bit too much for him as Dark Knight's second attack sent him to the ground. Moon Knight quickly recovered and got up.

"Who is this monster?" Moon Knight thought, "He wasn't mentioned in the book, but then again, it did say that they were full of surprises."

"I'm losing my patience!" Dark Knight yelled, "Am I going to have to attack you myself?"

Dark Knight charged Moon Knight, who was waiting for such a break. Dark Knight went for a horizontal slash, but he missed. Moon Knight jumped over him and tried to turn around in the air, but he did not jump high enough and landed with his back to the dark warrior. Moon Knight quickly turned around and attacked, but was blocked by Dark Knight.

"You can't get me that easily," Dark Knight said, "You, however, should be a cinch."

Dark Knight tried to slash Moon Knight's legs, but Moon Knight jumped and smashed Dark Knight in the head and got in a couple of good punches on his side. Dark Knight grunted in pain, but quickly recovered.

"What does it take to bring this guy down?" Moon Knight said, "I guess I have to bring in the heavy artillery. He was a good opponent, though."

Moon Knight jumped back and prepared to attack.

Moon Knight began to twirl the Moon Blade above his head in a whirlwind pattern, creating a spiral of Moon energy. He looked at Dark Knight and said a silent prayer for his soul.

"Moon Blade Elimination!!" Moon Knight shouted.

The energy spiral dissipated, charging the Moon Blade. Moon Knight brought the sword in front of him and twirled it a few times, them he rose the sword above his head, now grasping the handle with both hands. He then cut the air with a slash, releasing the stored energy and launching it toward Dark Knight, who was surprised by all of this. The energy hit the dark foe and he screamed and fell to one knee. He collected himself and stood up. It was a blast that would have killed a lesser creature, but Dark Knight had lived through the attack and was soon to answer with one of his own.

Dark Knight went into sort of a trance. He closed his eyes and grasping the Shadow Sword with both hands, pointed it toward Moon Knight. Then, he placed the blade against his helmet and focused his energy. A flash of dark light came form the sword, indicating that the sword was charged. He raised the sword above his head.

"Shadow Sword Destruction!!" Dark Knight shouted.

Dark Knight's eyes opened suddenly. They were a darkened, bright red and they looked at Moon Knight with full flare. Dark Knight cut down, releasing an energy assault of his own. Negative energy left his sword and raced toward Moon Knight. Moon Knight was hit by the energy and cried out loud and he was thrown a few feet before hitting the ground. Dark Knight walked over to him.

"That was only a small taste of what I can do," Dark Knight said, "Pray you do not live to see my true power."

Dark Knight began to walk away. Moon Knight stood up with some difficulty and attacked Dark Knight, who easily blocked the blow, causing Moon Knight to fall down.

Dark Knight stared down his foe, "You are a fool, Moon Knight."

"No, it is you who are the fool, Dark Knight," Moon Knight countered, "The Dark Kingdom is fighting a hopeless war to take over this planet."

"It is the Moon Kingdom who is fighting the worthless crusade to stop us, " Dark Knight dissented, "You can't stop our destiny, no one can."

Moon Knight stood up and prepared to fight again. Dark Knight stood, also ready for battle, but something inside his head stopped him. He looked around as if he did not know where he was or what he was doing here. He growled loudly and sank into the earth through a portal. Moon Knight, dazed and a little confused sheathed the Moon Blade and disengaged his Moon Knight powers. He went to find the young woman who ran away earlier.

He found her hiding behind a tree near where the battle had taken place. She was leaning against the tree curled up and crying from fear.

"Are you okay, miss?" William asked her.

The young woman looked up when she heard his voice and smiled when she saw that it was not the one who tried to kill her, but another person.

"Yes, I'm okay," she said.

William gave her his hand and helped her up. He looked her over for any injuries, but she had escaped unharmed. She was up to William's neckline, in height, wearing a, now tattered and torn, white summer dress.. She had blue hair and deep sea green eyes. Her looks weren't of the normal peasant girl...she looked a little out of place to him, but she was very beautiful.

"I'm glad you're okay," William said, "Do you need an escort home?"

"Yes, that would be perfect," she said, "What is your name?"

William got down on one knee and kissed her hand. He once read that this is how you introduce yourself to a lady. She looked down at him, her cheeks a little flush...she wasn't used to being treated like this.

"My name is William Serenity," he said, looking up at her, "I am the Prince of the Moon Kingdom, visiting here to train with the knights of the Earth Kingdom."

"Saved by a prince," she said, blushing, "I am not worthy."

"No, dear lady," he said, "It is I who is not worthy."

William kissed her hand again and stood up. He could now see that she was slightly blushing.

"Shall we be going, miss?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, "Oh, I never told you my name. I am Titus Euphoria."

William nodded and they proceeded to her house. When they reached the door, they stood and looked at each other. Titus looked into William's bright blue eyes and William looked into her deep sea green eyes. Titus leaned up to kiss him, pecking his lips gently. William backed away shyly, his cheeks turning a soft red. Titus giggled and blushed slightly. William bowed to her and was about to leave, but Titus grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.

"It's getting late," she said, "Why don't you stay here for the night? It's the least I can do for you escorting me home."

She didn't want him to leave. She had never been treated like this before. No one had ever really noticed her, which seemed unreal, due to her uncommon beauty. She never imagined that a prince would come into her life...she wanted to seize the moment...keep him here as long as she could...make it last as long as possible.

"If it's not any trouble for you, I guess I could stay and watch over you," he responded, "In case they decide to return."

Back at the castle, Endymion and the remaining knights were discussing the results of the battle.

"So far about twenty knights have not reported in," one knight said, "Damage to the village was pretty extensive. It may be weeks or months before we can repair all they've done. This is the worst of their attacks. If they follow up, I'm not sure if we could survive."

"Have any of you see Prince Serenity?" Endymion asked.

All the knights present shook their heads. Endymion bowed his head.

"He's a tough fighter," Endymion observed, "But last time he fought them they almost killed him."

"Yes sir, he is a tough fighter," a knight agreed, "He's so tough that I don't think the Dark Kingdom could beat him."

"I agree," another knight said, "He is a very skilled swordsman. If he can beat you, he can take anything."

"You all may be correct, but you do remember what happened to him last time they attacked," Endymion began, "He ended up fighting the four dark generals and was struck down by Queen Beryl herself. He takes unnecessary risks in battle, always trying to do more than his part and I hope one day it doesn't get him killed."

The other knights agreed with Endymion, but most thought that William could take care of himself and was tough enough to fight anyone. Some mentioned the mock battle that he and Endymion had fought, mentioning their thoughts on Prince Serenity's skill.

"Never mind that," Endymion said, "When do you recommend we send out search parties to find the remaining knights?"

"I think that we should wait until morning," one knight said, "We do not know the current situation on the outside and the daylight we help us in our search."

Many of the knights agreed and so it was decided to wait in the morning. Endymion did not like the idea, but he did not want to go out alone, since Dark Kingdom forces could still be there.

"I hope you are alright, William," Endymion said to himself.

While Endymion was worrying about William's whereabouts, the Dark Kingdom was talking about their new nemesis.

"What was the name of the warrior you faced, Dark Knight?" Queen Beryl asked.

"He called himself Moon Knight, the champion of the Moon Kingdom," Dark Knight said, "He put up a good fight, but he was nothing to me."

"Maybe to you, Dark Knight," Beryl commented, "Still, he could prove to be a problem if he gets involved in our affairs.

"Do you think that the Moon Kingdom found out about Dark Knight and made a soldier of their own?" Kunzite asked.

Queen Beryl shook her head, "Not possible...there has been no contact with the outside until recently and we have been developing the project way before we defeated. So, they must have made him while we were imprisoned. This puts serious complications in our plans."

Thoughts raced through Dark Knight's mind. He kept his same aura of fear and power, but, on the inside, his mind was fighting a battle of its own. Maybe Moon Knight's attack had done more than he originally thought. He shook it off and listened in.

Discussions continued of the battle and their new enemy...many wondered of what was to come and what this new threat would mean to the outcome of their mission...

William and Titus stood outside her home. It was towards the outskirts of the village, but it was still inside the city limits. It was very nice on the outside. There were some bushes and flowers around the front that looked very well taken care for and you could smell the flower's perfume-like scent as soon as you came to the door.

"Are these your flowers?" William asked, "They're lovely."

"Thank you," Titus said, "I didn't plant them, but I make sure that they're watered."

William nodded. Titus opened the front door and they went inside.

The inside was as beautiful as the outside. It wasn't really as fancy as the castle, but it was nice for a civilian residence.

"The inside is a lovely as the outside, Titus," William complemented.

William sat down in a chair that was in the living room. Titus headed towards the kitchen.

"I'll make us something to eat," Titus said, "I hope I can please your princely palate."

"I'm sure anything you make will be just fine," William said, "Do you have anything to drink?"

Titus went into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. She sat them down on the table next to William.

"Go ahead and start without me," she said, "Dinner will be ready soon."

William opened the bottle, poured himself a glass, and took a sip. It wasn't the first time William had drank wine for it was a regular drink at meals in the castle back home. He finished that glass and poured himself another.

Later, Titus brought their dinner in, and they ate in the living room.

"Titus, this is delicious," William complimented.

"Thank you," Titus said, "I thought it would be a far cry from what you're used to eating, being that you're a prince and all."

William shook his head, "No, it's perfect."

After dinner, Titus asked William about the Moon Kingdom. She had never been there before, only heard stories of its beauty, and wanted to hear all she could from him.

"Tell me about the Moon Kingdom," Titus asked, "I've heard and read so much about it."

"What do you want to know?" William queried.

"Everything," Titus said, "I want to know everything. About your life, your family, and especially your castle home."

"My home is just a home, just like this one," William said.

"No, this home is drab," she said, "I bet your home is fantastic."

"I never really thought of my home as 'fantastic'," he said, "It's just where I live."

"Then, tell me about your family," she said, "It must be exciting to be the son of a king and queen."

"Well, you do get to meet interesting people," he said, "Like Prince Endymion, he's become my best friend."

"You know Prince Endymion!" she said, ecstatically, "You have to introduce us, as well as the rest of your family."

"Well, tell you what," he said, "How about I take you with me when I go back home in a few weeks? I'll introduce you to everyone and show you everything."

"Really?" she asked.

William nodded. Titus was pleased and cheered for a sec, then hugged William warmly. William blinked at first, but smiled and returned her hug.

"Titus, where am I going to sleep?" William asked, "I'll gladly sleep on the floor or this chair if you like."

"No," Titus said, shaking her head, "You can sleep in my bed with me."

William had a look of surprise on his face, but Titus reassured him.

"I've barely known you for a day, it's not like I'm going to try something," she stammered, knowing that wasn't the right thing to say, "I mean, you're a prince, and a prince must be comfortable, even while he's sleeping."

William shrugged and nodded, not going to argue with her. Titus left and changed for bed. William got ready as well, removing his sword form his back, as well as his shirt. Titus called him into the bedroom. William walked in to see Titus already in bed on one side. William, after laying his sword and shirt on a nearby chair, got in on the other side. After saying good night, Titus curled up next to him and went to sleep. William could hardly sleep at all, however. He was thinking about Dark Knight and his own new powers. Both have which, in some small way, have changed his life forever. He looked over at Titus, who has only know this young woman for a short time. He wondered how he could fulfill all the promises he made to her. He was only trying to be nice, but, somehow, feels that their meeting was destiny. He knew that she was going to become a big part of his life...where it would lead even he was unsure...


End file.
